Monday, February 9, 2009

Assaulting the Hour

By all appearances, Lance will be making an attempt on both versions of the hour record. He's seen riding a nearly stock Trek track bike (equipped with an SRM and 28-spoke wheels) and then his road TT bike, also equipped with SRM. Word is he turned some 17.7-second laps on his TTX without too much effort.

7 comments:

Neat. I'm pretty sure he's investigated the possibility before, but maybe he's got more time and energy to focus on it - he's not consumed by the TdF, and it would certainly make headlines (which is, arguably, his current goal).

But if he hasn't decided if he's going after the Athlete's Hour or the Best Human Performance, I think it might be too soon to get excited about it.

No One Line: You're right, the Hour was investigate before, but shelved for unknown reasons.

Privateer: I suspect we'll known the answer by the end of August. While I don't think I'd put my money on him at a Classic anymore, given how well Graeme Obree continues to ride into his 40s, I'd put my money on Armstrong. If he takes the start, I think he'll do it.

JZA: The efforts at the velodrome were very specific. He was clearly investigating his fitness. He's been in the wind tunnel recently, so he doesn't need the track to work on his TT position and I don't think he'd have been on the track bike for any reason other than gauging fitness. The fact that they took the stock wheels off and replaced them with 28-spoke old-tech was very telling.

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Belgium Knee Warmers Defined

For many professional cyclists the Spring campaign is the toughest of the season; it means training from October until March in the worst, character-building weather conditions Europe can dish out. This weather and the suffering that is bicycle racing breed characters known as "hardmen".

Select cyclists tackle these conditions in shorts, long sleeve jerseys or short sleeve jerseys with arm warmers, wind vests, and shoe covers. A true hardman opts to forego the knee or leg warmers and instead chooses an embrocation to cover the knees. The liniment provides warmth for the legs and keeps the blood circulating and muscles supple. Embrocation and the sheen created is affectionately known as "Belgium knee warmers". The hardest of cyclists will sport bare legs in the most ruthless of conditions.

Belgium Knee Warmers are indicitive of the many subtleties that make professional cycling so enthralling.

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I spent 20 years of my life working in the bicycle industry, turning wrenches and selling bikes for some of the industry's best shops. I have extensive experience designing and constructing frames in both steel and titanium and have performed thousands of bike fits. I am passionate about bicycles in all forms. The bicycle provides me with physical and mental health and taps me into a social pipeline that allows me to share my passion with others. I ride as often as possible and love the flow of a hard group ride. Check back for musings about all things road cycling and, especially, the Spring Classics. The devil is in the details and I am an expert in the useless minutia that makes up our discipline.